| Title: | J. [Wightman?], Lancaster, to Eliza Wightman, Lisburn. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3328 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Wightman, James/53 |
| Year | 1823 |
| Sender | Wightman, James |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | businessman (owns a factory) |
| Sender Religion | Protestant |
| Origin | Lancaster, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Lisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Wightman, Eliza |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | father-daughter |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Prof. J.A. Faris, 15 Coney Island, Ardglass, Co. Down. BT30 7UQ |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park |
| Doc. No. | 9802453 |
| Date | 24/10/1823 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 09:02:98. |
| Word Count | 1042 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | PAID 12/c [12 cents?] Miss Wightman Lisburn Ireland LIVERPOOL SHIP LETTER 27NO27 1823 [Dublin transit postmark 27 November 1823?] Lancaster 24th Oct. 1823 My Dear Eliza I received the letters from you & Jas Ward forwarded by Mr. Sheppard from New York on the 30 Sep. - he must have had a very tedious passage yours being dated 13 Jun - they lay two weeks in this office before I received them and remained two more in my possession before I was in a situation to read them - I was dangerously ill at the time with a severe attack of bilious fever which confined me to bed for six weeks - the seventh week I was able to be up occasionally and this day terminated the eighth in which I have been able to go out in a gig or to walk about the [house?] - from the second week I had two Physicians to attend me, for two weeks they visited me three times a day one of them was my intimate acquaintance and had it not been for the assiduous attention they paid me, my recovery had been very doubtful - 'tis true the Almighty was of himself all sufficient, and my heart cannot but feel the deepest sense of gratitude towards him for this merciful rescuing me from the grave - it was at one time reported among my acquaintances in Philad [Philadelphia?] that I was dead, I hope none of them may have mentioned it in their letters to Ireland, or that this may reach you before the report - the attendant expenses will make a deep inroad on the little property I had accumulated - besides medicine and Doctors fees, I had a man to attend me at 6 Dollars a week & his board - latterly he took the fever & [again?] & got a little fellow in his place - the bilious fever and fever and ague has prevailed this season to an alarming extent over all the state, the former has carried off a great number of the inhabitants, in a small town called Reading, about 40 miles from this, there were 37 funerals in one day. - I find it impossible to carry on the manufacturing here - from a dread of a return of the sickness, most of my hands left me the beginning of summer, of the small number that continued at the factory 4 have been consigned to the grave, among whom was Edwd Glenfield formerly of Lambeg, he was attacked a few days before I was, but his constitution had been broken down of a long time - I was obliged to send several to the county hospital where they yet remain. I wrote to my sister Bess on the 1st June, I was there in hope that the coolness of the season would have prevented the appearance of the sickness, but the fair prospects I had then anticipated have all been blasted - I shall however carry on if God gives me health until next May when I shall make arrangements for returning to Ireland for no consideration would induce me to remain in America, much less to bring you over here, I might as well bury you in a wilderness, although this is a populous place and I have a pretty general acquaintance, (in many cases an intimate one) with the most respectable of its inhabitants I have never had an invitation to a house in it yet, nor I suppose would not were I to live here 50 years - "Invitation" is not in our dictionary here - Although our crops this season have been most [extensive?] (unprecedently so) yet but little good will result from. Markets have fallen accordingly and the farmer will have a great deal of extra labour to realize the same money that he did last year. - There is still a great depression in trade which operates very severely against the poor Irish, who are chiefly all weavers and labourers - very few of either can [-----?] [torn] pays them bread and washing - a great many [torn] the labourers were employed at the Canals which are many in this state - the epidemic diseases swept them off in hundreds - Lancaster lies midway on a circuitous route between Philad [Philadelphia?] and Baltimore - weavers are constantly passing between the two towns & generally give me a call in search of employment - few of them have a cent in their pocket or a second shirt for their back and many have to beg their way - the depression of real estate is incredible a [few?] property was sold in this vicinity yesterday for 10,000 Dollars for which 40,000 was refused a few years ago, and in Pittsburgh, that once flourishing place, a property was lately sold for 10,000 for which 50,000 was some time since refused - these two facts I have from the President of the Philad [Philadelphia?] Bank and the President of the Pittsburgh bank with whom I have spent the greater part of this morning, and who were the sellers in both cases - for a large portion of the landed property is mortgaged to the different banks in the country I had a long letter this morning from Henderson dated Glasgow - I wrote to Nancy in March since which I have not heard from that quarter, I intend to write to Willm [William?] in a few days or as soon as I can write any way legibly - I'm sure you will have great difficulty deciphering this letter, for I have had great difficulty writing it - give my love to your sister [--?] Yours ever affect [affectionately?] JM PS The letter you sent by Mr McCall has not come to hand - the Roman Catholic Priest of this place died a few weeks ago of a malignant fever - he was interred with all his clothes, vestments &c on him, with plenty of [m---y?] candles [&c?] put into the coffin - he was buried at one side of the grave yard with his feet towards the feet of the other bodies, that at the resurrection he might meet his congregation face to face - I presume you have recd [received?] Miss Wright's letter from America - The [they?] abound with falsehood and misrepresentation |
